In keeping with Greek aesthetics, this relief depicts the torso of a centaur with curly hair and a face in profile, with his head turned to his left. On the face we can see the Greek-influenced almond-shaped eyes and an expression of restrained tension that shows the moment of action and anger that this character is experiencing. The excellent anatomical study of the muscles can be seen as the chest is uncovered. With his arms bent at the elbow, he thrusts a spear, attacking to the left, following his gaze. The centaur is a Greek icon of the struggle between barbarism and civilization. Its body consists of a human head, torso, and arms, while its legs become the quadrupedal body of a horse. One of the most popular relief compositions was the centauromachy depicted on one of the four friezes of the Parthenon. It tells the story of the battle between the Lapiths and the centaurs. The centaurs were invited as a sign of peace to the wedding of the king of the Lapiths and his wife, but they got drunk and began to kidnap the women of the village, thus starting a bloody war between the two peoples. This episode has been depicted in reliefs on several occasions, as it is perfect for the anatomical study of humans and animals, as well as compositional study. Many works have been inspired by the Parthenon frieze. Usually depicted in male form, they represent the strength and vigor of an animal. We see how this magnificently sculpted torso carries a stick in its hand, as it would be in battle, which was one of the main facets of the centaurs, who were always warlike. *Good condition, with slight erosion on the arm and details of the face. Provenance: Phoenix Ancient Art Gallery, Switzerland /Ars Histórica Arqueología, Spain, 2014 Exhibited: Ifergan Collection museum, Málaga (2018-2020) Statement seen by Catawiki. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer about this if this takes more than a few days. According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subject to export taxes and will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price and the tax rate is not applied directly on the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it: - Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. - From 6.001 to 60.000 euros: 10%. Due to Switzerland customs regulations about antiques over 100 years old, this lot cannot be sold to customers residing in Switzerland.